Member Reviews

A difficult topic, beautifully written.
Although I needed tissues during this story, I came away with a strong feeling of "Love yourself and forgive those who cannot, for they cannot love themselves."
I enjoyed how each chapter was told from Lily's story and then to Julia's story.
The heartbreak, anger and sadness I felt as I continued on thru the book, made me love this wonderful novel.
I read it in 2 days and it will stay with me a long time.

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Warning! This book made me cry, so if you don't like books that move you to tears, this one is not for you. The gut-wrenching story of Lilly and Pepper the circus elephant is told in such a superb way that you cannot remain untouched by it. The reader gets a peek into the circus life in the twenties, but unlike some of the other books I have read, this novel uncovers the less attractive sides as well. The animals and even some of the sideshow freaks are treated like commodities and apart from those who work directly with the elephants, there seems to be very little compassion and willingness to take into account animal welfare. Lilly feels a strong bond with Pepper, maybe because she herself has been treated badly because of her disability, but she will have to pay a high price for defending her elephant. As you, together with Julia, gradually uncover Lilly's fate, it's almost impossible to stop reading, even though it hurts. Excellent!

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I received this book from NetGalley as an ARC. This is a book I probably never would have read if it weren't for NetGalley. I don't normally read historical fiction but I am glad I requested this one. What an amazing story. It takes place across several decades in the early 1900's. Lilly is born--she is albino--and was then hidden in her parent's attic until she is 7. Her parents take care of her basic needs for the most part but her mother is nasty mean and is mean to her telling her how ugly she is and how others will hate her etc... The mother sells her to the circus. The chapters are about Lilly and what happens to her at the circus over many years and Julia who was raised in the same house Lilly was without any knowledge of Lilly. Julia ran away as a teen and returns home after her parents die because they left her the house/farm. She starts going through things and soon realizes that something is wrong--her parents seem to have a big secret, especially her father, who mostly spent his time locked in his den crying and drinking. I knew that Julia was definitely somehow connected to Lilly but I could not guess the outcome so I read this book voraciously to the finish. The writing was amazing, the descriptions of the circus and Lily's life was easy for me to imagine. The story is heart-breaking yet beautiful and tragic at the same time. So sad. Lilly was an amazingly strong character to have survived all that she did through out her life. Definitely recommend this book!!

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Water for Elephants meets Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. The Life She was Given is a story about Lilly, a young girl with a very grim life, parents that are rigid, unresponsive, unloving, no hope. Yes a very sad life she was given, gets worse, gets better, one day when she was 11 her cruel mother sells her to the circus, gets worse, gets better, then gets out of control. No spoilers here, not happy with the ending. Ellen you sent me on a wonderful ride, usually at the end of the ride there is light. This ride was not only dark, but bumpy. The ending felt rushed and incomplete. I could think of so many ways the story could have ended. I still enjoy it very much, love Ellen and will read anything she writes. 4****

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THE LIFE SHE WAS GIVEN was a very good use of my reading time. I was dying to read this book as I'm fascinated with stories of the circus so thank you to Kensington Books and Netgalley for granting my wish for an advanced copy. This is the story of a girl sold to the circus by her mother and another girl who runs away from her mother. Told from both perspectives in alternating chapters, Wiseman captures the complexity of girls coming of age who must look to themselves for guidance as they can't get it from their parents. The plot of this story is so engaging and the visuals are sharp and concise. You can smell the peanuts and taste the tears. I loved every word and every plot twist. I really thought I knew how the novel would end and was completely wrong. Wiseman delivers characters you raise in your heart and a story your mind will never forget.

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I was loving this until the part where the baby elephant is ripped away from his mother and then the mother elephant is killed. hat was absolutely heartbreaking and really hard to get through. Saddest thing I've read in a long time. I was sobbing. But I really enjoyed the story, especially Lilly's part more so than Julia's, but I liked how everything came together in the end. I will definitely recommend this book to friends! Thank you for the opportunity to read and review!

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(This review is based on an advance reading copy I downloaded from NetGalley in May, 2017. Please be advised that the few items quoted below may change in the final published copy, but needed to be included in order for me to leave a meaningful review. Since I only read the first half of the book, I'm not really sure if anything below can be considered a spoiler, but there are some references below to people and events that occur throughout the first half. Read on at the risk of learning that all your assumptions about how the plot develops are actually correct.)

I have not read anything so awful in years. I forced myself through the first half, intending to finish regardless, but I just couldn't. The scene with the zebras, followed by the completely predictable and trite love scene in the water, was the last straw. Having satisfactorily finished reading "What She Left Behind", I can only guess that the author turned over writing duties on this one to her 12-year-old nephew. First off, why use a passive voice in the title? Very odd. Secondly, a very heavy reliance on "the questioning mind" construct really turned me off. ("What was it? And why had her father hidden it in his dresser? " Or, "What was she supposed to do now? And what about the horses? Were they okay? Would Claude show up to take care of them? Most of the horses would be fine..., but what about Blue and her baby? Could they take this cold?") I actually have enough intellect to figure out where an author is leading me without needing it to be spelled out for me as part of the narrative. This happened at least every few pages, and was just draining.

And the characters - so Glory keeps telling Lilly how "everything will be ok", and she'll protect her from Merrick. Well, as of the halfway point, Glory has done absolutely nothing to protect Lilly. Nothing. Merrick (and the townies) have completely abused Lilly, and Glory has never stopped it. Oh! And Lilly takes a whipping from Merrick with a riding crop where each blow was harder than the last, but IT NEVER BREAKS THE SKIN?!!! Give me a friggin' break!

Also, again as of the halfway point, we have yet to be told why Lilly frequently has this inability to breathe (does she have asthma? Does she suffer from panic attacks?), that she can get through just be telling herself to. The same with her counting - is she OCD? ADD? Autistic? Why is she counting things all the time? With no other symptoms of any mental disorder.

And Julia - what a complete overnight turnaround for a runaway to just slide into the role of Mistress of the Manor! How fortuitous that she's so comfortable with the horses.

Oh! And let's not forget to refer to EVERY SINGLE CIRCUS CHARACTER by his or her first name and description every time they're referenced. (eg: Hester the Monkey Girl and Magnus the World's Ugliest Man). At some point (certainly after the first several months with the circus), it seems that Lilly and others would no longer need the longer appellation in order to know who they're referring to; Hester and Magnus would probably do the trick.

I could go on about the many ways in which this book fails, from outsized and over-the-top characters (momma, Merrick) to trite and predictable plot lines (the elephant boy), to 5th-grade sentence structure and development, to overused constructs, and beyond. This was just awful AW. FUL. I will actively steer folks away from this title, if possible. I'm embarrassed for everyone who contributed to the production of this novel.

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Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for gifting me with an ARC of The Life She Was Given by Ellen Marie Wiseman. In exchange for the book, I am providing my unbiased opinion.

I should have loved this book because I generally like books that feature dual narrations, timelines and circus settings. However, I never fully engaged with either main character. It bothered me that Lilly was so indifferent to her situation and never seemed to display any true emotions. Julia's story was bland and although her story was set in the 1950's, I never got the feeling for that decade. Her story felt modern and lacked the details needed to create time and place.

This book was a fast read and the pages turned quickly. Although I was not emotionally invested,I was curious to see how the stories would play out and I was pleasantly surprised by an unexpected twist. For me, one of my biggest gripes was the comparison given to Night Circus and Water For Elephants, which had peaked my interest, but ultimately led to my disappointment. If a reader goes into this story with no expectations or literary imaginings, I think they will enjoy this story much more. Not my favorite Ellen Marie Wiseman novel, but still a fine read.

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It was a great read. Heartbreaking tale that shows the differences between generations and how people who had physical differences were treated years ago. Recommend keeping tissues next to you when reading.

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Great story! Looking forward to reading more by this author! Highly recommend!

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This was an incredibly written book. While much plot revolves around a circus, it's really more about Lilly and Julia, two women who are "given" difficult lots in life and find their places through strength of character. A cocoon/butterfly metaphor would probably be apt here, but let's not push it. It was easy to root for both of them, especially through some truly heartbreaking moments. Wiseman's writing is wonderfully descriptive and I got a strong sense of place, but I didn't really get a strong sense of time. Yes, the 1930s timeline was a bit easier because the whole circus freak show business is very dated, but Julia's life in the 1950s practically could have been yesterday. So that was a bit of a weakness, but it didn't take away from the novel as much as it could have because the story and characters were so solid. I thought a big part of the central mystery Julia was attempting to unravel was fairly obvious, but observing the impact the discovery has on Julia is compelling enough on a character level that I didn't miss the shock factor on the plot level. I'm doing a terrible job of reviewing this book, but before I close I'll say that there will be obvious parallels to Water for Elephants, and it is kind of a "find yourself at the circus" sort of story with similar levels of drama (or melodrama, if you prefer). If you want to compare it to a circus novel, it's probably more like The Thunder of Giants, what with parallel stories of outsiders. But really it stands on its own as a novel about women finding inner strength when they most need it and making the best of what they are given.

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What bleak times it was in the 1930s. So many inhumane and cruel acts perpetuated against the weak, different, women, children and animals. The story was at times heart wrenching and unbearably sad. Well written, reliable characters, not an easy read but a good one.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

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Excellent book. Great storyline and characters. A real page turner. I would recommend this book.

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Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This the tragic story of Lilly who is sold to the circus as a child because of her strange "affliction". There are glimmers of hope, but mostly tragedy for Lilly. There is also a second story of Julia which intersects with Lilly's years later. The story starts out very strong, slows a bit in the middle and ends with the "big reveal." An enjoyable read.

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The Life She Was Given is beautifully written, with the narration alternating between Lily in the 1930s and Julia in the 1950s. The pacing is quick, and those moments where context is being provided and character development is taking pace feel natural and not at all forced. The result is that The Life She Was Given has a beautiful balance between being a plot-driven and character-driven. Additionally, the descriptions of circus life are vivid and imaginative, and the depth of the feelings and mystery that surround Blackwood Manor are entirely captivating.

The depth of Wiseman’s research shines through as well, and I really appreciated the acknowledgement of some of her more important sources. As someone who spends a great deal of time educating others on Information Literacy and how to properly reference sources, to see this included in a work of fiction makes my heart go pitter-patter. Not only that, the truthfulness and factual basis of many of the big moments throughout the text – Lily being sold to the circus, the elephant execution, and the circus traditions and superstitions – means that these moments are entirely believable and easy to get wrapped up in.

If there is one book that you should read this summer, it should be The Life She Was Given by Ellen Marie Wisemen. Filled with mystery, drama, unexpected plot twists, hope, and heartwarming moments of unconditional love this novel is sure to please lovers of historical fiction, family dramas, and mysteries alike.

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Wry engaging characters and situations. Liked the alt ranting voices. Kept my attention throughout. Only complaint is ending too contrived and a bit abrupt.

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The Life She Was Given is a gorgeous novel! Alternating chapters tell Lilly's and Julia's stories. Lilly was a young girl who hadn't left her attic room until one night when her mother took her to the circus and sold her to the sideshow. Julia is down on her luck when the attorney for her parents estate finds her and she returns to Blackwood Manor, the childhood home she ran away from. Julia discovers that there are many secrets hiding in the old manor. The most mysterious is the empty attic bedroom.
The weaving together of Lilly's and Julia's stories is very skillful. I
I loved The Life She Was Given - I read it in one sitting.

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I was hooked on this book from the very first pages. It is a fast paced, heart-wrenching tale filled with family secrets and lies. Each chapter alternates between the viewpoint of two sisters and their very different lives. The many twists and turns in the story keep you guessing about the identity and motivation of the characters. There were a couple of chapters that were very harsh and may be triggering to some readers. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to lovers of family sagas.

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One of the best books I've read this year! I spent all my time thinking about the book when I had to put it down. I plan to buy the other books by this author I enjoyed this book that much

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Wiseman once again delivers an emotionally packed character driven novel! I love her detail to her characters and how she pulls you into the story and keeps your interest to the very last page.
Lilly has never stepped foot out of Blackwood Manor and dreams of lives in other places on the day the circus comes to town. Little does she know that her longings are about to come true and maybe not in a way that she expects or wishes.
Set in times from the great depression to the 1950's The Life She Was given takes us from the grand Blackwood Manor to the life of a Traveling Circus. You don't want to miss the story of Lilly Blackwood this different and fascinating girl!
Wonderful novel and I would of given it 5 stars but I felt she tied up the ending a little too fast and neat.

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